Elastic fabric



Sept. 28v 1926. 1,601,484

' s. J. TAYLoR ELASTIC FABRIC Filed Jan. `2l 1924 l VVE/v70 5 ATT R/VEK Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES SCHUYLER J. TAYLOR, OF MIDDLETOWN,

PATENT OFFICE.

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T THE RUSSELLv MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.,

yELASTIC FABRIC.

Application led January 21, 1924. Serial No. 687,427.

My invention relates to that class of fabrics that may be stretched and that will resume their normal conditions upon the release of force applied to stretch them, and

. an object of my invention, among others, is

\ bodying my invention.

In the making of elastic fabrics prior t0 when force is applied lengthwise of such elements, and crosswise of the fabric, to such extent that the selvage edge comprised of the loops 5 will bedistorted and drawn out of shape, and in order to prevent such distortion an anchoring thread 6 is vextended lengthwise of the fabric and L.through each of the loops 5, this anchoring thread tending to prevent the loops from being drawn inward withrespect to the warp threads when force is applied to stretch the fabric crosswise thereof.

I have found, however, that this anchoring thread 6, of itself, willf not sufficiently retain the selvage edge in its original condition and I have, therefore, provided means for remy invention it has been a common practicetaining such anchoring thread in place, this to extend the elastic elements len'gthwiseof the fabric, such elastic elements comprising the Warp of the fabric. It has heretofore been proposed to construct an elastic fabric that may be stretchedvcr'osswise, but a difiiculty has been encountered for the reason that the elastic elements comprising the weft will be drawn out of place at the selvage edge of the fabric and such edge will not therefore maintain its true shape. By the practice of my invention I have provided means vwhereby a fabric may be `formed in $0 which the elastic elements may be extended crosswise of the fabric, thus forming the weft, and which elastic elements are` s o supported at the selvage edge of the fabric as to maintain such edge in its original shape and without distortion thereof.

Such a fabric embodying my invention is illustrated in the drawing -herein in which thenumeral 3 indicates the warp threads that may" be arranged/ in any manner common to the art of weaving and that may be disposed with respect to the weft in any Wa desired. rIhe numeral 4 indicates the we t threads that are composed of elastic, suitablyI covered in a manner well known in the art of Weaving elastic fabrics.V These weft threads comprising elastic elements are woven into the fabric in a inanner common to weaving of non-elastic fabrics, these weft threads having loops 5 at each side of the i? fabric, such weft threads ofelastic elements extending back and forth across thefabric in a manner common to vgeaving.` y Y These weft threads of elastic elements, ow-

ing to their elasticity,l ywill be disturbed,

, means comprising a supporting thread 'or threads 7 comprising a part of the warp, which supporting threads 7 are woven in any suitable manner to cross the anchoring thread and to cross each other in a manner to prevent the anchoring thread from being displaced and to retain such anchoring thread within the loops 5. In the arrangement shown herein the supporting threads are so woven that they alternately cross the weft threads comprising two loops, this especially on the face of the fabric, and as illustrated in the drawing, but it will be underv stood that the manner of crossing these supporting threads with respect to the anchoring` thread, and with respect to each other,

v may be varied to any extent common to the art of weaving, and the number of these supporting threads that may be emplyed may also be-varied to any extent desired. v

y In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the fabric which I' now consider to represent the best embodine'ntthereof, but I desire to have it understood that the fabric shown is only illustrative and that the in- Cil vention may be carried out by other means i and applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claiml. An elastic fabric comprising 'a weft formed of elastic threads, an anchoring thread extending through the loops of the vweft threads at the'selvage edge of the fabric, and a supporting thread woven into the fabric and extending across at least each of two threads comprising a loop to support the anchoring thread `:against movement lengthwise of the weft.`

2. An elastic fabric comprising al weft formed of elastic threads, an anchoring thread extending through each of the loops of the weft threads at the selvage edge of the fabric, and a su porting thread extending across a pluralit of said loops and across'the anchoring t read in the direction of depth of the fabric to support the latter against movement lengthwise of the weft.

3. An elastic fabric comprising a weft formed of elastic threads, an anchoring thread extending through each of the loops of the weft threads at the selvage edge of the fabric, and a supporting thread woven into the fabric in the direction of depth thereof between each pair of said loops to support the anchoring threads against movement lengthwise of the weft.

4. An elastic fabric comprising a .weft formed of elastic threads, an anchoring thread extending through each ofthe loops of the weft threads at the selvage edge of the fabric, and a supporting thread woven 5. An elastic fabric` comprising a weft formed of elastic threads, an .anchoring thread extending through each. of the loops of the weft thread at the selvage edge of the fabric, and a supporting thread woven into the fabric and extending over and under said loops and across said anchoring thread to hold the latter and prevent said elastic loops being drawn inward in the weaving operation.

6. An elastic fabric comprising a weft formed of elastic thread, an anchoring thread extending through each of the loops of the weft threads at the selvage edge of. the fabric, and a supportin thread woven into the fabric and exten ing alternately over and under each pair of loops and across said anchorin thread to hold the latter against inwar movement inthe pull ofthe- 

